Chapter 19 - Community Succession Flashcards
What is succession?
The process by which the species composition of a community changes over time.
What is a seral stage?
Each stage of community change during the process of succession.
What is a pioneer species?
The earliest species to arrive at a site.
What is a climax community?
The final seral stage in the process of succession.
What are two methods of observation ecologists use to study succession?
Direct and indirect
What is a chronosequence?
A sequence of communities that exist over time in a given location.
What has been the focus of research on succession of terrestrial environments?
Plant communities
What is primary succession?
The development of communities in habitats that are initially devoid of plants and organic soil, such as sand dunes, lava flows and bare rock.
What is secondary succession?
The development of communities in habitats that have been disturbed and contain no plants but still contain organic soil.
What assumptions are made in chronosequencing?
Older sites pass through same seral stages as younger sites and sites of different stages are only different in terms of age, but not disturbance, etc.
How do traits differ between early and late succession communities?
Earky: promote dispersal, rapid growth, reproduction
Late: enhance competitive capabilities
What is facilitation?
A mechanism of succession in which the presence of one species increases the probability that a second species can become established.
What is inhiibition?
A mechanism of succession in whcih the presence of one species decreases the probability that a second species can become established.
What is the priority effecT?
When the arrival of one species at a site affects the subsequent colonization of other species.
What is tolerance?
A mechanism of succession in which the probability that a species can become established depends on its dispersal ability and its ability to persist under the physical conditions of the environment.
